Polistes Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Our mission is to assemble and share knowledge about nature in order to improve education, health, agriculture, economic development, and conservation throughout the world.
- Income
- $274,139
- Spending
- $270,563
- Spent on programs
- 96%
- Reserves
- 3.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 82%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 4
- Highest pay
- $8,500, executive director vp
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 82 out of 100. Higher than 56% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 164% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1596% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Weak: 31 out of 100. Higher than 6% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
0 of 250 of 2 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
Independent check of accounts
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (4)
- $127,451 spent. Bee Studies/Bee Lab Project (USGS Cooperative Agreement)- BumbleBee Project - Patuxent Wildlife Center Bee Studies. Collected, processed, cataloged, IT entry - native bee specimens from Integrated Bee Samples into Polistes WEB portal. additional bee specimen cataloging and identification with contract research scientists. USGS Bee Lab Project: Continued implementing the outreach strategy to current and prospective state, federal, and tribal partners who have interest and capacity to participate in pollinator science activities with USGS scientists and programs, such as CRUs and the USGS Bee Lab. * Engaged current and prospective partners to discover their interests, needs, and gaps to formulate suggestions for integrating appropriate collaborative research opportunities identified by partners and prospective partners into the project.
- $61,631 spent. Discoverlife - Shoal Creek Sanctuary. Continued System maintenance www.discoverlife.org with SHSU. Moth Collection, identification fieldwork. Shoal Creek Sanctuary invasive species cleanup services using local volunteers. Installed bee collection units. Provided local sanctuary tours for churches, Georgia conservation groups. Published materials for free distribution.
- $10,793 spent. Statistical analysis work on Native and Nonnative Bee and Wasp Survey. Continued statistical surveys, analaysis 2024-2025 for Penn. Dept. of Agriculture. Consultant processing results.
- $59,442 spent. American Petroleum Institute -Project components included AI analysis of drone imagery, including plant identification, pollinator habitat evaluation, and field verification. Project partners include US Geological Survey and The Pennsylvania State University.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since October 2002.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.